Physical locking through psychic resonance, the Special Envoy's third-party system
[00:00]
The moment the numbers went to zero, everyone in the Main Control Room held their breath for a second.
The cabinet didn't explode.
The dark red numbers stopped in place, flashed three times, and then turned into a line of small text.
[Recognition Layer activation - waiting for brainwave synchronization]
Gwen Stacy stared at the screen, her fingers flying across the Data Pad. "The countdown is on," she said in a low voice. "The self-destruct sequence hasn't been canceled, it's just paused. It's waiting."
"Waiting for what?" Hela asked.
"Wait for that key." Gwen Stacy looked up. "Or, wait for someone to forcibly touch the Recognition Layer. If they touch the wrong one, the countdown will restart; this time we won't get another sixty seconds."
The Scarlet magic at Wanda's fingertips slowly dissipated. She stared at the small print, saying nothing.
No one won that argument. The cabinet used the most foolish method to leave all three important figures standing there in vain.
Jean Grey stepped forward.
She walked slowly, stopped three steps away from the Archive Cabinet, and closed her eyes.
A wisp of golden Psychic Power reached out, tracing the Runes on the surface of the cabinet, not penetrating, but merely hovering around the outer edge. After a moment, she opened her eyes.
I've read its structure.
Everyone looked at her.
"The Stasis Layer locks time, the Self-Destruct Layer locks matter, the Recognition Layer— " Qin paused, "It locks people. It's not a lock, it's a scale. The Runes are bound to a specific brainwave frequency; it will only open when Psychic Power of the same frequency approach."
"Get to the point," Hela said.
"The key point is," Jean turned around, her gaze sweeping over Wanda and Hela, "If the Technology Minister had truly used Chaos Magic to peel away the Stasis Layer, the Recognition Layer would have lost its support, directly pulling the contents of the cabinet into the Time Rift. The cleaner you dismantle it, the more completely the contents will be gone."
Wanda's face darkened. "You wouldn't say anything earlier."
"I just said," Qin said calmly, "That there will be an overflow on a spiritual level. You were all too busy arguing about who saw it first to listen to the rest."
This statement, neither too harsh nor too mild, struck at the heart of the argument that had just taken place.
Hela scoffed. "Then, in the Special Envoy's opinion, what should we do now?"
"I'll take the lead."
The moment those three words were uttered, the air in the Main Control Room tightened again.
"The Recognition Layer recognizes brainwaves, so let's use brainwaves to match it," Qin said calmly. "My Psychic Power can be used for Resonance Guidance to simulate the frequency it needs. No need to dismantle the Runes, no need to move the cabinet, just trick it into opening the door by itself."
"Liar?" Gwen Stacy looked up.
"Resonance isn't about breaking the lock, it's about responding." Jean looked at her. "Director Gwen Stacy, you understand technology. A lock that recognizes its owner—if the owner isn't there—either waits for the owner to return, or—makes the lock think the owner has returned."
Gwen Stacy didn't respond immediately. She went over the plan in her mind; it made technical sense, and the risks were manageable. But the problem was never technical.
"During the Resonance Guidance," she said slowly, "Your Psychic Power will first come into contact with the items in the cabinet."
"Yes."
"You know everything about what you came into contact with, but we know nothing about it."
"Yes," Qin answered frankly, "That's why I said I'd take the lead. Anyone who's worried can keep an eye on things."
"Look?" Wanda sneered. "Your Psychic Power moves only in your head. What are we supposed to see? Look at the back of your head?"
"Does the Technology Minister have a better solution?"
"Yes." Wanda stepped forward. "Chaos Magic can attach to the outer edge of the Recognition Layer. As soon as your Psychic Power enters, my magic follows. Whatever you read, I read in sync."
"If two forces probe in simultaneously, the Recognition Layer will interpret it as an attack." Qin shook her head. "The moment your magic touches it, the countdown will immediately restart."
"Then let the Stability Maintenance Office it," Hela said calmly. "The Death Force doesn't enter the mind, it only suppresses objects. My sword is pressing down on the top of the cabinet. If the Self-Destruct Layer moves even slightly, I'll strike it down, pinning the Runes and the cabinet to the spot. You just need to open the door."
"You already tested that sword strike," Qin glanced at her. "It can't sever time, nor can it suppress self-destruction. If you press it in, you'll only add another layer of disturbance to the Runes."
"Disturbance?" Hela's eyes turned cold. "Does the Special Envoy find my sword in the way?"
"I find any unnecessary force in the way," Qin retorted, "This scale can only hold one thing at a time. If you put too many, it will tip over."
Three people, three plans.
Wanda should follow, Hela should keep watch, and Qin should play alone.
Every single one of them sounds reasonable, and in practice, every single one of them would exclude the other two people from the closet.
Gwen Stacy stood to the side, holding the Data Pad to her chest, without saying a word.
She understood. This was no longer a technical battle. The cabinet contained Lynn's secret; whoever touched it first held everyone by the throat. The technical solutions were merely the outer garment; the core was three words—
I can't trust them.
Wanda didn't trust Jean's mind, Hela didn't trust Wanda's magic, and Jean didn't trust Hela's sword. Any two of the five could easily overturn this ruin together, but at this moment, none of them dared to put their backs on the other.
"Everyone," Natasha's voice came from the outside.
She stood by the control panel the whole time, not saying a word while everyone was arguing; she just stared at the black screen.
"Let me give you a heads-up," she said, walking back slowly. "This cabinet is waiting for a specific brainwave. It doesn't recognize any of the five people here. Special Envoy Qin's Resonance Guidance is, in essence, a simulation, a guess. If you guess right, the door opens. If you guess wrong?"
"Wrong guess, countdown restarts." - Qin Dao.
"How many seconds are left after restarting?"
Qin paused for a moment. "I don't know."
"I don't know." Natasha nodded, then turned to Gwen Stacy. "Director Gwen Stacy, what are the responsibilities of the Supervisory Group?"
Gwen Stacy met her gaze. "Protect assets, oversee procedures."
"So now," Natasha's voice was low, "The three chief officials are each holding their own case, refusing to yield, and the assets hang by a thread. Should the Supervisory Group continue to stand by and watch, or should they come up with some guidelines?"
These were polite words, but they put Gwen Stacy in a very difficult position.
The charter is easy to obtain. But whoever the charter favors benefits; whoever you offend will face consequences later. Natasha's question, seemingly a request for instructions, is actually a way of forcing Gwen Stacy to take sides.
Gwen Stacy glanced at her.
This acting Director of the Internal Affairs Inspection Office, who had only been with the Management Committee for a few days, had already figured out the ways of the place like the back of her hand. She didn't offer suggestions, only challenges. Whoever was given the challenge had to take the blame for her.
"There's a clause in the charter," Gwen Stacy put down the Data Pad, "Article 9 of the ' High-Risk Asset Disposal Regulations ': In joint on-site disposal by multiple parties, the technical plan must be verified for risks by the Supervisory Group and signed by the principal officers of all three parties before it can be implemented."
She looked around at everyone.
"The risk of Special Envoy Qin's plan lies in one-on-one contact and a lack of transparency. The risk of Minister Wanda's plan lies in the interference of two opposing forces. Director Hela's plan has already been tested—it is ineffective."
Hela raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
"Therefore," Gwen Stacy said, emphasizing each word, "the Supervisory Group will not approve any of the three plans."
"Then you drive?" Wanda asked.
"I won't open it." Gwen Stacy shook her head. "I suggest we take the cabinet with us."
There was a moment of silence in the Main Control Room.
"The Runes are rooted in the foundation, and the Stasis Field is connected to this branch office." Jean frowned. "Touching it will disrupt the field."
"So we won't act now," Gwen Stacy said. "We'll discuss it first. We'll come up with a solution that all three parties can sign, where no one monopolizes the agreement, and then we'll take action."
"How long will this go on?" Hela sneered, "Until the TVA patrols come knocking on our door?"
"I've come to the conclusion that you all need to understand something," Gwen Stacy, meeting her gaze with a steady voice, "The person this cabinet belongs to is currently sitting in the White Bone Hall. You're all arguing here about who can open the door first, and whoever wins gets his things. He'll turn around and ask—'Who gave you permission to open it?' How do you intend to answer that?"
After those words were spoken, all three fell silent.
Yes. The cabinet belongs to Lynn. The secret belongs to Lynn. They're fighting fiercely here, vying for the right to open each other's envelopes first. If Lynn accepts it, it's the result of their exploration; if Lynn doesn't—
Everyone present was a violator who had broken the Top Secret seal.
The magic at Wanda's fingertips completely dissipated. Hela lowered her hand from the hilt of the sword. Jean lowered her eyes, and the golden aura faded somewhat.
The stalemate remains unresolved, but the tension has subsided.
Just then, in the dark array of control consoles deep inside the Main Control Room, a screen suddenly lit up without warning.
A pale blue light illuminated half of Natasha's face.
A line of characters slowly appeared on the screen.
[Residual brainwaves detected - Matching in progress]
[Matched with: Romanoff Natasha]
[Match accuracy: 41%]
All eyes were immediately fixed on Natasha.